Thursday

He showed up at Springfield High School with a whole laundry list, such as finishing senior year with a state title.

He has a different frame of mind now.

It stems from a series of sobering injuries over the past year. First it was a dislocated left elbow, followed by two sprained medial collateral ligaments in his right knee. They were all things that would make anyone appreciate the more basic things in life.

“There’s two weeks left and I want to enjoy my time with my brothers and go out there and do the best that I can and leave it all on the mat,” Stewart said.

Despite a limited senior year, Stewart (13-1) still picked up a first-round bye at 138 pounds in this weekend’s Class 2A Mahomet-Seymour Sectional. The first two rounds start at 5 p.m. Friday, and the tournament resumes at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“It’s a good feeling. I feel like I’m finally able to redeem myself and get back on the mat and show people I’m still a top-tier wrestler,” Stewart said. “At the end of the day, it’s just fun being able to go out there and wrestle against high competition on the high stage. It’s exciting being back.”

Stewart garnered fifth place in the Class 2A state finals at 126 pounds as a sophomore. A dislocated elbow cut the following season short and took six months to heal, requiring extensive physical therapy and light workouts.

He then sat out a couple of weeks during the football season after his first MCL sprain. It reappeared in just his second wrestling match of the season – his only loss of the year – and missed a month as a result. He returned shortly before the City Duals in the beginning of January.

“I was a little bit nervous – not for the wrestling part, just for the staying healthy part,” Stewart said of coming back. “After getting a couple injuries, it’s a little nerve-racking going out there to wrestle. But getting more matches in, I think I’m starting to get a better feel for it. I’m less and less worried about the injuries and more worried about just going out and competing.”

Getting to wrestle with three of his brothers – Danny, Jesse and Jordan – has made this season even more worth savoring.

Together, they represent each class at SHS.

Danny, a junior at 132 pounds, and Jesse, a sophomore at 126 pounds, each took second place in last weekend’s Class 2A Chatham Glenwood Regional. That means all but Jordan, a freshman at 106 pounds, will make a sectional appearance.

The Stewarts have substantial wrestling experience, starting with grappling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

When Jacquez was about 8 years old, they moved to Springfield. That’s around the same time their dad, Dujuan, asked if they would like to try wrestling.

“One day we were driving and my dad looked back at us and he said, ‘Do you guys want to wrestle?’ We all thought it was WWE, so we were like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’” Danny said. “It’s not what we thought it was, but ever since then, we’ve been in it. We never stopped.”

They got their start with the Springfield Capitals Kids Wrestling Club under Scott Kinison as well as Ryan Spencer’s dad, Pat.

“I was like, ‘When are we going to start jumping off ropes and stuff?’ First practice, I got to know the sport and ever since then, I’ve loved it,” Danny said. “I love the feeling of wrestling. I love going out there and doing the best that I can to win.”

It’s not often a high school coach in Springfield gets a group of competitors with that kind of early experience. It’s vital for high school success, Spencer said.

“It takes a little bit more time usually to get to a high level, which is why they’re pretty good,” Spencer said. “They put in a lot of time in the summer, especially Jacquez. He’s a good one. I was working with him in the summer before I got here.”

Jacquez has always had a strong grasp of the sport.

“Ever since we were little kids, he was always the best at wrestling,” Jesse said. “He just loves the sport. When we were in the kids club, I wasn’t like using all of the moves that I’ve learned. As soon as he learns a move, he can use it. He’s just really good with that type of stuff. He’s super-strong, too. He might not be that tall, but he’s pretty strong.”

Jacquez comes in at just 5-foot-4 while Danny and Jesse are 5-6.

But Jacquez more than compensates with not only his acumen on the mat but also his strength.

“It’s tough being a short wrestler, especially going up to the middle classes,” Jacquez said. “But I’d say, you just got to be strong. You got to be strong to make up for the leverage that a lot of tall guys have. I’d stay in the weight room and lift a lot. You also have to be fast. You can’t get caught standing still, so you’ve just got to be quick and strong and very explosive. And, then you got to know what you’re doing. You can’t get caught in bad situations as far as technique.”

He even hit the weights early on, as far back as junior high.

“He’s been in the weight room more than I have,” Danny said. “He started lifting before I did, actually. I remember when we first started, he was lifting in the basement. We only had 15-pound dumbbells and 20-pound dumbbells, and I remember him working out and I’m coming down and asking if he wanted a sandwich. He’s like, ‘No man, I’m good.’ Those were the good ole days.”

That diligence isn’t just reserved for wrestling. It also encompasses academics.

Jacquez, who has a 3.6 GPA, will study engineering at Ohio State University and helps tutor other students after school during the offseason.

In fact, he won a full tuition scholarship after writing an essay about diversity and his experience as a tutor largely assisting minority students.

He heard the news after winning his 100th career match at City Duals.

“I’m more of a math guy actually, but I put in a lot of work into that essay for that scholarship,” Jacquez said. “I will say that.”

Danny and Jesse have appreciated his help in the wrestling room over the years and all of their time together, even in football. On defense, they teamed up at linebacker for the Senators.

They wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“My dad, he has five boys, so he’s always told us to stick together like a fist,” Jesse said. “We’re always just looking out for each other.”